Tag Archive for: Alf Engen Ski School at Alta

Alan Engen

Your Next (or Last) Ski Lesson Can Be Traced Back to Alta

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The origins of the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s (PSIA) harmonized approach to ski instruction in the United States can be traced back to Alta.

When skiing was first taking hold as a participation sport around the Intermountain region in the mid- to late-1930s, ski instruction was informal; limited to tips provided by anyone who had been on a pair of skis more than once.

By the early 1940s, many people were taking up the sport, and it became evident there needed to be some form of training, control, and certification for people teaching others how to ski.

During the 1946-47 season, the Intermountain Ski Association (ISA) took the first steps to form a unified approach to ski teaching in the Intermountain region. One of the organizers was my uncle, Sverre Engen, at the time, head of Alta’s ski school.

During the 1946-47 season, the Intermountain Ski Association (ISA) took the first steps to form a unified approach to ski teaching in the Intermountain region.                                                                                  Source: Alan Engen Collection

Two years later ISA conducted the first Intermountain region instructor examination at Alta.  According to Bill Lash, former Alta ski instructor and founder of the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA), “Alf and Corey Engen ran the program.  The test was given in three grades: master instructor, instructor, and apprentice instructor.  The cost of the exam was $10.00 and the renewal fee was $2.50 per year.  In 1950, instructor pins were given out.  There were two pins and classes of certification: apprentice and instructor.” My father was Alf, who headed the Alta Ski School from 1948 to 1989 and for whom the Alta Ski School in named.

Early December,1950, another certification examination was conducted at Alta. This time, under the direction of Friedl Lang, a noted ski instructor who had been certified by the U.S. Eastern Ski Instructors Association. Lang had taught skiing in North Conway, New Hampshire for Hannes Schneider, father of the Arlberg Technique. He brought special insights to the new ski instructor certification process.

At the same time, the Intermountain Ski Instructors Association (ISIA) was created to oversee certifying instructors.

1958 National Ski Association Certification Meeting at Alta                                                  Source: Alan Engen Collection

Throughout the 1950s, Alta hosted numerous Intermountain Ski Instructor Association examinations. And in 1958, coordinated by the Alf Engen Ski School, Alta hosted the first National Ski Association “on-snow certification conference” to establish national certification standards. A significant outcome of this gathering was Outline of Ski Teaching, by Bill Lash. The first complete ski-instructors manual, it was distributed nationwide and became the basis of the American Skiing Technique. A few years later, in 1961, representatives of the National Ski Association met and agreed to formalize teaching the American Skiing Technique under a new umbrella: the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

So, wherever you take your next ski lesson at an area in the United States, if the instructor is PSIA-certified, she may not know it, but Alta played a role in bringing professional, harmonized instruction to the sport.

John Gelb

“Intermediate Breakthrough – IB” at Alta, Utah

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Hello readers, super great comments and questions on my “Secrets for Your Best Ski Season Ever” piece.  Also spoke with two readers in follow up.  I can sense everyone’s excited for this ski season – me too.  Shoot me your thoughts or questions and I’ll reply.

Alta’s Intermediate Breakthrough program help people go from blues to blacks

Previously I mentioned my good friend (60+) who improved bigtime from only four group lessons at Alta, UT last March.  Result: his skiing improved from confident “blue” skier to eager “black” skier.  In just four lessons.  So let’s dig in to what Alta’s program looks like and why it works.

And it’s worth doing even if you’re NOT going to visit Alta.  Here’s why: it’s a great template for asking the right questions of any ski school or instructor.  As a ski instructor, I LOVE when any skier in a group or private lesson tells me what they want to be able to do better/different.

Source: Alta

Now, back to Alta’s “Intermediate Breakthrough” group lessons.  Curious, I reached out to both Alta’s Ski School Director, and to the instructor who led the program my friend had found so helpful.  A few key observations:

  1. They seek decent “blue run” skiers who want to improve.
  2. They want skiers who will put some thought into their skiing, actively thinking of improvements they’d like to make.
  3. And, they want skiers to go out and practice the improvements a lot, and talk about what they’re seeing and feeling in their skiing.

I spoke with both Jonathan Doty, the on-snow instructor who led the Intermediate Breakthrough (IB) program, and with Jeremy Moore, Alta Ski School Director, who helped design it.  IB consists of one half-day group lesson per week for four consecutive weeks; a total of four group lessons. Talk to your ski buddies and try to pull together 3-4 who could join the lesson; next, talk to ski school and try to schedule a half-day morning lesson for four consecutive Sundays with same instructor.Many Sundays are QUIET at ski schools, so you may have better luck creating a special deal.

Jeremy insisted “the IB program is well-suited for anyone who’s skiing at least easy blue groomed terrain comfortably, and also is willing to put some time and energy into thinking about and hopefully improving their skiing”.

Source: Alta

Best preparation?  Here’s Jeremy again, “You don’t have to prepare in any specific way. However, it would potentially help improve your overall experience if you took some time to think and feel your skiing and come up with some concepts of what you like or don’t like about your skiing so you have a baseline to start from with your coach.”

From my friend, I learned that the IB format focuses on several “themes”, specifically one per week.  I asked Jeremy to unpack this a bit for me.  Jeremy: “The Alf Engen Ski School at Alta is a skills-based ski school, and we help students understand the How/What/Why they are doing with their skis.”  He added, “There are only 3 things you can do to your skis: rotate them, pressure them, or tip them on and off their edges”.  Sounds like a little, but it’s a lot!

Jonathan expanded on the “theme” focus: “We want skiers to succeed not only with us but on their own.  Each week we focus on a specific task they can practice outside of IB lessons, and a theme creates a flow to the lesson where the skills build on each other.”

As an instructor mostly doing private lessons, I know many people are concerned about “being judged” by others, particularly their friends.  Jonathan insisted: “This is a common thought, but everyone is putting themselves out there, and are on a personal journey.  This is a judgment-free zone!”

Like I wrote last time, whenever we improve our skiing proficiency…we have more fun!  Try to create this program at your favorite ski area…or just go to Alta.